The Awakening of the Elders
by UndeadWarrior
Summary: A mysterious race known as the Elders appears and begins revealing shocking truths about some of the character's pasts.
1. The Calm Before the Storm

The Calm Before the Storm  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. However, the plot and the characters not featured in Kingdom Hearts belong to me. Kingdom Hearts and its characters and any quotes I might use are copyright to Square Enix and Disney._____________________________________________________________________ __  
Kairi stared up at the sky, wondering. Had it really been only five months since the darkness had come? She looked around her. Their little island had not changed much since then. She could see Selphie sitting on the dock, swinging her bare legs over the water and probably dreaming some romantic fancy. Kairi grinned when she saw cocky, and yes, sometimes annoying little Tidus practicing his sword techniques against one of the island's many lush, palm trees. Wakka was over in the cove, out of sight, but sometimes she could hear his yells as he practiced battling with his blue blitzball. No, not much had changed at all.  
  
Except the two things that mattered most to her. Riku and Sora were gone. Everyone else had resigned themselves to the fact that they might never come back. Everyone, that is, except Kairi. Sora promised to come back. She knew that he would bring Riku with him. They just had to come back! She felt the rough bark of the tree scratch her bare legs as she slid off. She smoothed her skirt and pushed one unruly strand of hair behind her ear. Then she clenched her fists and stared out to sea. She wouldn't give up on them! No matter what, they were her friends! She refused to just forget! They would come back!  
  
Suddenly she saw a glimmer, far out on the horizon. A sparkle of the sun hitting something. She climbed back onto the tree and made makeshift binoculars with her hands. She strained her eyes to see what lay out there. She could faintly make out a white sail... It was a raft! Could Riku and Sora be on it? Who else could it be? As far as she knew she was the only one who had come on the island without being born here, well, recently anyway.  
  
She jumped off the tree, hope filling her heart. She ran across the wooden bridge, into the seaside shack, down the stairs, out the bottom level door, across the hot sand, up on to the dock, and then she jumped into her boat. She grabbed her paddle and began to paddle vigorously out to sea, towards where she had last seen the raft.  
  
"I'm coming Sora! I'm coming Riku! Just hang on!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. _______________________________________________________________________  
  
Selphie sat on the wooden dock, swinging her legs and fantasizing. She wished that there were more boys on the island. Nothing against Tidus or Wakka, but they weren't really the tall, dark, or romantic type. She sighed. Things were so boring she wanted to scream! She watched Tidus beat up a palm tree, giggling at his cries of "Take that!" or "Had enough yet?". She was about to go challenge him to a real batlle when she suddenly saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned, startled to see Kairi running at full speed across the sand towards the dock. She wondered what Kairi was doing now.  
  
The day that people realized that Sora and Riku were missing, Kairi had become a little, well, odd. She talked about crazy stuff, like that Sora was the Keyblade master or that her heart had been taken by Heartless. She said that Destiny Islands had been swallowed by darkness and Sora and Riku were missing because Sora was looking for Riku. She had also said that she was a "princess of heart". Whatever that meant. Selphie had never been really close to Kairi, but now she was even more distant. Not that Kairi sought anyone else's friendship. She kept to herself and the others kept to themselves. Selphie stood up. She'd never seen Kairi do anything odd before. It might be kind of interesting.  
  
Kairi was racing at full speed towards her. When Kairi reached the dock she raced past Selphie and jumped in her boat. As she started to paddle out, Selphie heard her cry, " I'm coming Sora! I'm coming Riku! Just hang on!"  
  
"What are you doing, Kairi? Where are you going?" Selphie called.  
  
Kairi never stopped paddling, just called back over her shoulder, "I think Sora and Riku might be out there! I saw a raft!"  
  
"Kairi! Wait! The currents get dangerous if you go out to far! Don't do anything stupid!"  
  
Kairi didn't even answer just paddled out farther and farther. Selphie turned to see that Tidus had stopped his tree abuse and was walking towards her. He had a confused expression on his face. He put his red, wooden rod in his makeshift sheath and jumped up on the dock next to Selphie.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"It's Kairi. She said she saw a raft out at sea. She thinks Riku and Sora are on it. She was really convinced it was them!" Selphie scratched her head.  
  
Tidus put his hand over his eyes and stared out at the horizon. "Sora and Riku? Hmmmmm. Wait, I see the raft! Do you think it could be Sora and Riku?"  
  
Selphie shook her head. "Maybe, but I don't think so. Do you really think that Riku and Sora would really just turn up on a raft out of nowhere?"  
  
Tidus shrugged. "You never know. She had to have seen something."  
  
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Kairi was deperate now. The raft was getting closer, but not close enough to make out any details. It had to be Sora and Riku! They had to have come back! She paddled furiously. Looking back, it may not have been a very good decision to come out here alone. Her arms were already starting to ache and she was only half-way to the raft.  
  
Suddenly, out of thre corner of her eye, she saw a mountain of water start to rise up from the sea. At first she couldn't figure out what it was, but then she realized she was seeing a monstrous wave.  
  
"No!" she cried. She tried to paddle faster, realizing she would never reach it in time. She dropped her paddle in the bottom of the boat and curled up, sheilding her neck and face from the impending blow.  
  
When the wave hit, it was like a freight train had landed on top of her. She felt the air being squeezed out of her lungs. Her boat flipped over and over, throwing her off into the wave. She was struck by something and before she descended into the darkness she thought that now she would never see if Sora and Riku came back after all...  
  
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"Tidus, look! I've never seen a wave that big before! It's huge!" Selphie cried.  
  
Tidus looked up, horrified at what he saw. Selphie was right, the wave was huge!  
  
"Selphie, hurry! We have to get to the tree house! That thing'll crush us if we stay here!"  
  
"What about Kairi?" she asked.  
  
"There's no time for that! We have to get to safety! C'mon! Hurry!" he grabbed her wrist and dragged along as he ran along the beach.  
  
"Wait! What about Wakka?! The wave will swallow him too!" she screamed as they ran.  
  
"We don't have time! We just have to hope he's okay!" Tidus yelled as they ran up the steps, along the path, then up the wooden pathway, then finally they darted up the ladder, ran along the balcony, and threw themselves in the tree house.  
  
"I hope the tree will hold." Selphie whispered fearfully  
  
"I do too." Tidus said, noting the eerie quiet that had fallen over Destiny Islands. He pushed against the wall and waited. It was the calm before a storm. 


	2. The Newcomer

The Newcomer  
Hello! It's me, Undead Warrior! Thanks for the review that I received about my first chapter! I'm really new at this and would appreciate your opinions! Oh, by the way, the next chapter will go back to the people in Hollow Bastion! Look for some unexpected people to appear! ___________________________________ Wakka sat up, aware of the throbbing in his arm. He looked around from where he sat, amazed at the change. The wave had torn apart or flattened everything in its path. He was glad he been able to climb one of the sturdy palm trees when the wave hit. That had probably saved his life.  
  
He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and then stood up shakily. Then he remembered Tidus, Selphie, and Kairi. He had to see if they were okay! Had they been has lucky as he had? He jogged up a sandy hill, hopped across the top of a few palms, then slipped into the opening that led to the other part of the island. He was to preoccupied to even pat the queer star tree that grew next to the short tunnel for good luck, as was the island's custom.  
  
Once he was out the other side, he was relived to see Tidus and Selphie on the beach. They were bending over two people, seemingly trying to wake them. He grinned and ran towards them, happy to see that they were alive.  
  
"What's happenin' guys?" he asked in his usual cheerful manner.  
  
"Wakka!" squealed Selphie. "You're okay! Oh, I thought you were dead for sure!"  
  
"What happened to you're arm? It looks broken!" Tidus exclaimed.  
  
"Aw, I musta hurt it when I fell off that tree. I climbed on top of the tree right before that dang wave hit. Stupid thing, it flattened the island." He looked around surveying the damage.  
  
"Oh, Wakka! The most exciting thing happened! Kairi thought Riku and Sora were on a raft, but it really wasn't them at all, and she paddled out- " she said so quickly that her words slurred together and she was unintelligible.  
  
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down!" Wakka laid a hand on her shoulder. "Just slow down and start from the beginning!" _______________________________________________________________________  
  
As Selphie filled Wakka in on all that had happened right before the monster wave had hit, Tidus bent down and started gently shaking Kairi, trying desperately to wake her. He knew she wasn't dead, he could see the steady rise and fall of her chest. She did have a large, bloody lump on the back of her head, where she must have been hit by something when she was caught up in the swirling monster wave. He hoped she didn't have a concussion or something worse. He frowned. He probably should go for one the adults.  
  
"Hey, I think that I should go get a doctor or someone else to check these two out. I'll be back in a bit!" he waved as he started to the place where they kept the spare boats, just in case something like this happened. He pushed it out into the water, then jumped in and started to paddle towards the largest island where everyone lived.  
  
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Zio stirred and opened her eyes. They were almost sealed shut and she had to reach up and rub some of the sandy grit away before she could open them. She found herself looking up at a beautiful blue sky. She sat up, gritting her teeth against the fierce pain in her head. There were two kids sitting close to her, and there was a girl laying beside her, eyes closed but breathing.  
  
"Hey, Wakka! She's awake!" said the the girl, who was sitting about four feet away from her.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I see her. Don't stare, Selphie, it's not polite." said the boy.  
  
I must look like a monster, Zio thought. She cleared her throat and said rather hoarsley, "Do you have a drink? My throat's killing me!"  
  
"Yeah, kid. See that waterfall over there?" At Zio's nod, Wakka continued. "That's full of the freshest water you'll find on Destiny Islands."  
  
"Thank you." Zio stood up, realived to see that she could and made her way towards the waterfall. When she reached it she tilted her head back, and drank from the crystal clear water. Then she stood under it and managed to get some the sand off. It felt good to get that scratchy, itchy grit cleaned off. She got out of the little pool and sat down on a nearby barrel to dry.  
  
"So this place is Destiny Islands" she mused. It had been trashed by that huge wave that had seemed to come out of nowhere. It was still beautiful, a paradise in constast to all the other places she'd visited. She reached back and tried to comb out her waist-length platinum hair. She looked down in dismay to see that her black, leather pants were badly torn at the knee and that her form-fitting red shirt had lost almost all of its color. Her pack was probably washed up on some distant shore, so these were the only things she had.  
  
She was mostly dry from the sun's bright rays. She began to walk down the beach towards the others, noticing that the other girl was sitting up and, besides an ugly lump on the back of her head, looked none the worse for the wear. They had been lucky. She also noticing three other boats coming towards the island. They weren't more than about a yard away and closing the distance fast. In fact, by the time she had gotten to the other children, the first of the boats had already landed.  
  
"Are you kids all right? That freak wave sure did tear up the place!" the loud-voiced shrilled as she walked up to the children. "We all thought you were dead for sure! Wakka, my goodness what happened to your arm! It looks terrible!" She turned and noticed Zio standing there. "Oh my, you gave me a turn! Wait, have we ever met before? You don't seem familiar. Do you come from one of the other islands? Well, I still should at least should have seen you at least once before.....Did you tell me your name?" She finally finished, leaving Zio with a rather long list of questions to answer.  
  
"My name is Zio. No, I don't from this island, or any of the others for that matter. I came from a-"  
  
"You come from a different world don't you?" the other girl, who had been unconscious moments before, now was looking at her curiously. "See, she comes from a different world! I told you there were different worlds out there! Now do you believe me? I was telling the truth!"  
  
"Kairi, honey, calm down! She didn't say whether or not she came from a different world or not! There could be other islands out there!"  
  
"Actually, I do come from another world. I came here to-"  
  
"See, I told you! There are other worlds! Why don't you believe me?" Kairi broke in angrily.  
  
"Kairi! I don't expect you to disrespect me! Young lady, you've been acting very oddly lately, and I want you to stop this nonsense now!" the other woman shrilled.  
  
The young girl that the islanders called Kairi stood their for a minute, then ran into a small shack that had miraculously survived the wave. Zio had stood, just as the others had, stunned and embarrased, as the lady and Kairi had had their bitter argument. Zio shook her head. Looks as though things weren't as peaceful at the islands as they at first seemed.... 


	3. The Strongest Heart

The Strongest Heart  
  
Hi! It's me again, the Undead Warrior! This story seems to be going along pretty well, but it takes me forever to update! I've got a lot of work at school, you know? Anyway, this chapter flips back away from Destiny Islands to Hollow Bastion. Enjoy! Oh yeah, I'd love to hear your reviews so, R&R! Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters (but don't I wish I did!). However the plot is copyright to me!  
  
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Cloud stared at the polished wood that his elbows were resting on, deep in thought.He was sitting at a table in the corner of Hollow Bastion's extensive library, underneath the stairs. The light that streamed through a beautiful window that looked out onto the courtyard made beautiful and intricate patterns on the table and floor. Everything was so quiet and still. He supposed it might make some people uneasy, but sometimes, when he just needed to get away from it all, he came here. Sometimes his lone wolf nature kicked in, and he felt an irrepressible need to be alone with his thoughts. The library was perfect for this sort of thing.  
  
Ever since they had returned to Hollow Bastion after Ansem's defeat, everyone had been working hard to rebuild Hollow Bastion. Cloud and Squall had worn themselves out restoring the castle's outside, taking down the huge Heartless crest, or touching up some of the places that had been left to ruin when the darkness had taken over. Cloud ached constantly, as he was sure Squall did, and the second his head hit the pillow he was asleep at night. Thanks to Aerith, beautiful lush flowers, and healthy grass had begun to fill the castle's courtyard and added new life to the streets. Yuffie had reluctantly gone to work cleaning the inside of the castle, whining constantly about how her job was the hardest. Cloud had to admit, she was doing a good job. Between the four of them, the influence of darkness had all but disappeared from this world. But the most encouraging sign of improvement was the fact that people were beginning to come back to the castle and its city. They had come slowly at first, but then more and more had come. Merchants set up their shops, businesses had begun to spring up, and families and built homes for themselves. In all aspects, Hollow Bastion was making a drastic turn for the better.  
  
But Cloud just wasn't happy. The others, even Squall, smiled and laughed, intoxicated by their sucess. They were happy to return to the home of their childhood. Not Cloud. The castle wasn't the same without Ansem. He had always looked up to Ansem, and Ansem had treated him like a close friend. Ansem had been his mentor, his confident. Why had he turned to the darkness? Why was life so unfair?  
  
Cloud lifted his head up at the creak of the upstairs library door swinging open. He pushed back his chair, taking pains to be as silent as possible. He stood up and slipped quietly up the stairs. He hid behind one of the bookcases then looked around the edge, carefully, quietly.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked, after seeing who it was that had walked into the library. The man turned towards the young, spiky-haired warrior, who had stepped out from behind the bookshelf. He didn't look formidable to Cloud. He was older than Cloud, but it was hard to tell his real age. He had hair as black as a mooonless night, and blue-green eyes. He was taller than Cloud, maybe about 5'9 or 6'0. He was dressed in solid black, with with a shirt with long black sleeves and black jeans. To top off his dark costume, he wore a black cloak with the hood down.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked calmly, as though it was not unusual for people to walk inivited into someone else's library.  
  
The question caught Cloud off his guard. "What do you mean, who am I?" he asked slowly.  
  
"Exactly what I said." the older man answered.  
  
Cloud sighed. This was going to be an interestiong conversation. "You answer me first." he said. "After all, I'm not the one trepassing here!"  
  
"Fair enough." the stranger agreed. "May we sit down first? I've had a very long journey to get here and I'm weary."  
  
Cloud nodded, and soon they were seated at opposite ends of the table that Cloud had been sitting at a few moments before. The stranger absentmindedly ran his fingers across the table's smooth surface, cleared his throat, and began.  
  
"I am Dorian, one of the few remaining Elders."  
  
"Elders?" Cloud broke in. "What are they?"  
  
"It's not suprising you haven't heard of us. Once we were a prosperous people, until a king who thought only of his own personal gain, threw us into a war that all but destroyed us. The few of us that survived seperated and went to find the ones with the pices of light."  
  
"Pieces of light?" Cloud broke in again.  
  
"Yes. The ones with the hearts who cannot be broken. Darkness cannot touch their hearts unless, of course, they willingly gave up the light, exchanging it for darkness."  
  
'It's gotta be Aerith' thought Cloud. "How do you find them? I mean, how do you know who has the light and who doesn't?"  
  
"It's just a feeling you get from someone. We Elders have stronger senses. A sixth sense, almost. We are able to more acutely feel the strength of the heart, its pain, happiness, well, you get the picture." Dorian smiled at Cloud.  
  
"So why did you come here?" Cloud leaned foward, interested in the Elder's reply.  
  
"We have reason to believe that one of you may of the hearts that cannot be overcome by darkness." the Elder answered.  
  
"Who?" Cloud asked.  
  
"You." _______________________________________________________________________  
  
Hope you liked the chapter! I really think that this story is turning out well. Please R&R!  
-Undead Warrior 


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